System and method for personalized fitting of hearing aids

ABSTRACT

Disclosed are system and methods for automated fitting of a hearing aid, through an automated hearing test based upon which a suitable set of hearing aid parameters is determined.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. Pat. Application No.17/742,622 filed on May 12, 2022, which is a continuation of U.S. Pat.Application No. 17/542,750 filed on Dec. 6, 2021, the contents of whichare all incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to the field of personalizedfitting of hearing solutions, specifically adjustments executable by auser of the hearing aid, using artificial intelligence.

BACKGROUND

Modern hearing aids are today most often controlled by digital dataprocessors and signal processors.

However, typically programming and adjusting of parameters of thehearing aid requires a user to make an appointment with a hearingprofessional (typically an audiologist) and to come into an office thathas the necessary equipment. This imposes the inconvenience, expense andtime consumption associated with travel to a remote location, which isparticularly problematic for users with limited mobility, users who livein remote areas, and/or users who live in developing countries where ahearing professional may not be available.

There therefore remains a need for systems and methods that enable auser to autonomously adjust parameters of his/her hearing aid, as perhis/her own hearing experience and at a time of his/her need.

SUMMARY

Aspects of the disclosure, according to some embodiments thereof, relateto systems, platforms and methods that enable a user to autonomously fitthe parameters to a hearing aid of his choice so as to obtain a bestpossible hearing experience.

Advantageously the fitting can be adjusted based on whether or not theuser is in possession of a hearing device. That is, the hearing testmade as a part of the fitting process may be adjusted to be conducted onheadphones in case the subject is not in possession of a hearing aid, ase.g. in the case of a user who is only considering to acquire a hearingaid or in the process of doing so. Similarly, in case the user isalready in possession of the hearing aid, hearing aid specificadjustment may be made, such as an automatic switching of an operationmode of the hearing aid from a hearing mode to a test mode, or such astaking into account the brand of the hearing aid, requesting use of aparticular dome etc., all adjustment configured to ensure the highestpossible quality of the hearing test and subsequent setting of suitablehearing parameters.

Moreover, a microphone positioned, for example, on the user’s mobiledevice, may be utilized to record environmental sounds. This may serveto record background noise at the frequencies transmitted to the userduring the hearing test and subsequently be used to increase the qualityof the test results. Moreover, the microphone may be further used todetermine the degree of leakage of the sound transmitted to the hearingaid or headphones, which leakage should be deducted from the intensityof the signal transmitted or otherwise be taken into account, whentransforming the hearing test into hearing aid parameters.

As a further advantage, the fitting can be made at a time and place ofthe user’s convenience.

According to some embodiments, there is provided a method of automatedfitting of a hearing aid, the method comprising: conducting a hearingtest comprising: changing a mode of the hearing aid from a hearing modeto a test mode, wherein the test mode is configured to minimizepenetration of external sounds into the hearing aid; utilizing orrequesting to utilize a microphone to record environmental sounds;providing puretone sounds at different frequencies, requesting from theuser a feedback regarding the quality of the sounds at each of thedifferent frequencies; and determining a suitable set of hearing aidparameters for the hearing aid, based on the feedback and the recordedenvironmental sounds and optionally further on the type of hearingdevice utilized for the test and/or the brand of the hearing aid.

According to some embodiments, the method further comprises providing orobtaining an indication regarding the type of hearing device utilizedfor the hearing test, wherein in case the user is not in possession of ahearing aid, the method comprises requesting the user to utilizeheadphones, wherein the requesting of the user to utilize headphonescomprises requesting the user to provide at least one feature of theheadphone, wherein the at least one feature is selected from:closed/open back, on-ear/over-ear/in ear/ear-buds, wired/wireless,noise-cancelling, brand or any combination thereof.

According to some embodiments, the method further comprises a step ofuploading the feedback to a cloud, wherein the determining of thesuitable set of hearing aid parameters for the hearing aid is performedat the cloud. According to some embodiments, the method furthercomprises a step of downloading the suitable set of hearing aidparameters to the subject’s mobile and/or hearing aid.

According to some embodiments, the method further comprises providingthe user with an indication that the hearing test cannot be reliablyexecuted, when the environmental sounds recorded reach a predeterminedthreshold level.

According to some embodiments, when the user is in possession of thehearing aid, the method comprises providing a request to the user toutilize a hearing aid dome, the dome configured to seal off externalsounds and/or minimize leakage of sounds transmitted through the hearingaid to the environment.

According to some embodiments, the determining of the suitable set ofhearing aid parameters comprises normalizing the feedback obtained,based on the environmental sounds recorded at each of the differentfrequencies.

According to some embodiments, the hearing test may be executed via theinternet or using a dedicated mobile app. According to some embodiments,when the hearing test is executed using the internet, the method furthercomprises requesting the user to indicate which internet browser isbeing used or automatically identifying the internet browser used.According to some embodiments, the method further comprises normalizingthe feedback obtained, based on the internet browser used.

According to some embodiments, when the hearing test is executed usingthe dedicated mobile app, the possession of the hearing aid may beautomatically identified. According to some embodiments, four scenariosof device identification may be envisaged: 1) No device is located, inwhich case the user may be requested to either confirm that he/she isnot in possession of a device or to turn on/properly activate the device(optionally followed by visual instruction); 2) Only one device islocated, in which case the user may be requested to confirm that indeedhe/she is only in possession of a single hearing aid (or optionally theuser may be requested to activate second device), 3) Two hearing devicesare identified, in which case the user may automatically be transferredto the next step (e.g. instructions to put on his/her hearing aid); 4)More than two device are located, in which case the method may includeautomatic sorting of the devices, for example, according to signalstrength, and a pair of hearing aids be suggested to the user.

According to some embodiments, when the user is in possession of thehearing aid and the hearing test is performed using the dedicated mobileapp, the method further comprises automatically changing a mode of thehearing aid from a test mode to a hearing mode, if a call enters duringthe hearing test.

According to some embodiments, the determining of the suitable set ofhearing aid parameters comprises obtaining an external set ofrecommended hearing aid parameters, and adjusting the external set ofrecommended hearing aid parameters, based on the hearing test.

According to some embodiments, the determining of the suitable set ofhearing aid parameters comprises obtaining an initial set of recommendedhearing aid parameters, the initial set of hearing aid parameters beinghearing aid parameters obtained from a subject having a similar userprofile. According to some embodiments, the user profile is determinedbased on at least two parameters selected from age, gender, years ofhearing deficiency, source of hearing deficiency, previous hearing aidusage, interests/hobbies, occupation. According to some embodiments, thesimilar user profile is chosen by the user.

According to some embodiments, the hearing test further comprisesproviding to the subject one or more recordings of speech of one or moreindividuals with whom the user has frequent interactions and wherein thedetermining of the suitable set of hearing aid parameters comprisesproviding a set of parameters optimized for hearing the speech of theone or more individuals with whom the user has frequent interactions.According to some embodiments, the method further comprisesautomatically recognizing speech of the one or more individuals withwhom the user has frequent interactions and utilizing the set ofparameters optimized for hearing the speech of the one or moreindividuals with whom the user has frequent interactions.

According to some embodiments, there is provided a system forpersonalized hearing test and hearing aid adjustment, the systemcomprising a processing logic configured to: change a mode of thehearing aid from a hearing mode to a test mode, wherein the test mode isconfigured to minimize penetration of external sounds into the hearingaid; utilize or requesting to utilize a microphone to recordenvironmental sounds; provide puretone sounds at different frequenciesto the user, request from the user a feedback regarding the quality ofthe sounds at each of the different frequencies; and determine asuitable set of hearing aid parameters for the hearing aid, based on thefeedback and the recorded environmental sounds and the type of hearingdevice utilized for the test or brand of the hearing aid.

According to some embodiments, the system further comprises providing orobtaining an indication regarding the type of hearing device utilizedfor the hearing test, wherein in case the user is not in possession of ahearing aid, the control logic is configured to trigger a request to theuser to utilize headphones, wherein the requesting of the user toutilize headphones comprises requesting the user to provide at least onefeature of the headphone, wherein the at least one feature is selectedfrom: closed/open back, on-ear/over-ear/in ear/ear-buds, wired/wireless,noise-cancelling, brand or any combination thereof.

Certain embodiments of the present disclosure may include some, all, ornone of the above advantages. One or more other technical advantages maybe readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the figures,descriptions, and claims included herein. Moreover, while specificadvantages have been enumerated above, various embodiments may includeall, some, or none of the enumerated advantages.

Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used hereinhave the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill inthe art to which this disclosure pertains. In case of conflict, thepatent specification, including definitions, governs. As used herein,the indefinite articles “a” and “an” mean “at least one” or “one ormore” unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Some embodiments of the disclosure are described herein with referenceto the accompanying figures. The description, together with the figures,makes apparent to a person having ordinary skill in the art how someembodiments may be practiced. The figures are for the purpose ofillustrative description and no attempt is made to show structuraldetails of an embodiment in more detail than is necessary for afundamental understanding of the disclosure. For the sake of clarity,some objects depicted in the figures are not drawn to scale. Moreover,two different objects in the same figuremay be drawn to differentscales. In particular, the scale of some objects may be greatlyexaggerated as compared to other objects in the same figure.

In block diagrams and flowcharts, certain steps may be conducted in theindicated order only, while others may be conducted before a previousstep, after a subsequent step or simultaneously with another step. Suchchanges to the orders of the step will be evident for the skilledartisan. Chat bot conversations are indicated in balloons and userinstructions provided through selecting an icon or an option from ascroll down menu is indicated by grey boxes. It is understood thatcombining both text conversations and buttons is optional, and that theentire conversation tree may be through text messages or even, butgenerally less preferred, through instruction buttons and/or scroll-downmenus.

FIG. 1 is a flowchart of the herein disclosed method for automatedfitting of a hearing aid, according to some embodiments.

FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a system for automated fitting of ahearing aid, using a hearing aid according to some embodiments.

FIG. 3 schematically illustrates a system for automated fitting of ahearing aid, using headphones according to some embodiments.

FIG. 4 schematically illustrates the flow of the herein disclosed methodfor automated fitting of a hearing aid, executed using a mobile App,according to some embodiments.

FIG. 5 schematically illustrates the flow of “onboarding” of hearingaids for the herein disclosed method for automated fitting of a hearingaid, executed using a mobile App, according to some embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The principles, uses and implementations of the teachings herein may bebetter understood with reference to the accompanying description andfigures. Upon perusal of the description and figures present herein, oneskilled in the art will be able to implement the teachings hereinwithout undue effort or experimentation. In the figures, same referencenumerals refer to same parts throughout.

According to some embodiments, there is provided a method for automatedfitting of a hearing aid, the method comprising: conducting a hearingtest which includes providing or obtaining an indication regarding thetype of hearing device utilized for the hearing test (hearing aid orheadphones), transmitting sounds at different frequencies to the hearingaid or to the headphones, requesting from the user a feedback regardingthe quality of the sounds at each of the different frequencies; anddetermining a suitable set of hearing aid parameters for the hearingaid, by applying an algorithm on the feedback and on one or more of: thetype of hearing device utilized for the test, recorded environmentalsounds, and the one or more features of the headphones.

According to some embodiments, the algorithm is an artificialintelligence (AI) algorithm. According to some embodiments, thealgorithm is a machine learning algorithm. According to someembodiments, the machine learning algorithm is a supervised learningalgorithms built on a mathematical model of a set of training data inwhich the output is that of an audiologist.

According to some embodiments, the supervised learning algorithms mayinclude active learning, classification and regression.

As used herein, the term “hearing test” refers to an evaluation of thesensitivity of a person’s sense of hearing. The standard and most commontype of hearing test is pure tone audiometry, which measures the air andbone conduction thresholds for each ear in a set of 8 standardfrequencies from 250 Hz to 8000 Hz. The result of the test is anaudiogram diagram which plots a person’s hearing sensitivity at thetested frequencies.

According to some embodiments, if the result of the hearing testindicates a higher than predetermined difference such as, but notlimited to, more than 10 db or more than 15 db between left and rightears, the method will issue a query to the user as to whether he/she isaware of such difference. In case the user is unaware of such hearingdifference between the ears, the method may include issuing anotification to the user that an audiologist and/or ear doctor is to becontacted. This since a discrepancy in the hearing may be indicative ofa medical issue such, as but not limited to, cerumen (wax) in the earcanal, bone growth, growth on the vestibular nerve, head injury,infection (sudden deafness—which often affects only one ear-should beconsidered a medical emergency)

According to some embodiments, when the user is in possession of ahearing aid, the method comprises changing the mode of the hearing aidfrom a hearing mode to a test mode, wherein the test mode is configuredto minimize penetration of external sounds into the hearing aid.

According to some embodiments, the method further comprises utilizing orrequesting to utilize a microphone (which may, for example, bepositioned on a mobile device of the user) to record environmentalsounds (noise). According to some embodiments, the environmental sounds(noise) may be recorded separately for each frequency band, such as, butnot limited to, specifically one or more of the following frequencybands: 250 MHz, 500 Mhz, 1 k , 2 k, 4 k, and 6 K. Each possibility is aseparate embodiment. According to some embodiments, the determining ofthe suitable set of hearing aid parameters includes normalizing thefeedback obtained from the user, based on the environmental sounds/noiserecorded at each of the different frequencies. According to someembodiments, the method further includes providing the user with anindication that the hearing test cannot be reliably executed, when theenvironmental sounds/noise recorded reach a predetermined thresholdlevel. According to some embodiments, the method further includesdisplaying (e.g. graphically) the level of environmental sounds/noiserecorded before and/or during the performing of the hearing test.

According to some embodiments, the microphone may record soundsresulting from leakage of sounds transmitted to the user, in which casethe actual sound level reaching the user is lower than that transmitted,thus negatively influencing the results of the hearing test. Accordingto some embodiments, when leakage is determined, the test may either berepeated and/or the test results adjusted, based on the intensity of theleakage. According to some embodiments, an indication/suggestion may beprovided to the user, e.g. via the user interface, to go to a more quietsound environment. According to some embodiments, the user may berequested, e.g. via the user interface, to insert the dome deeper insidethe ear canal or to replace the dome of the hearing aid. According tosome embodiments, the adjustment may include multiplying the test resultby a factor indicative of the intensity of the leakage. According tosome embodiments, the adjustment may include subtracting the intensityof the leakage from the intensity of the input signal.

According to some embodiments, when the user is not in possession of ahearing aid, the method may include requesting, e.g., through a userinterface, the user to utilize headphones. According to someembodiments, the method further includes requesting, e.g., via the userinterface, to provide at least one feature of the headphone. Accordingto some embodiments, the at least one feature is selected from:closed/open back, on-ear/over-ear/ ear-buds/in-ear ear buds,wired/wireless headphones, noise-cancelling headphones, head phone brandor any combination thereof. Each possibility is a separate embodiment.

As used herein, the term “headphones” refer to a pair of smallloudspeaker drivers worn on or around the head over a user’s ears. Theyare electroacoustic transducers, which convert an electrical signal to acorresponding sound.

As used herein the term “closed-back headphones” refer to headphonesthat are completely sealed around the back, thereby only allowing soundout where it can reach a user’s ear. Closed-back headphones normallyblock out a lot more outside noise, yielding better sound isolation.

As used herein the term “open-back headphones” refer to headphones thatallow air to pass through the ear cups from the rear of the speaker.This lessens resonances and low-frequency build-up caused by rearenclosure. Open-ended headphones typically provide/ensure natural andclear sounds.

As used herein the term “over-ear headphones” refer to headphones withheadbands and large ear cups that fully encompass the ears of its user.

As used herein the term “on-ear headphones” refer to headphones withheadbands and with more compact ear cups than over-ear headphones. Theear cups typically rest on the ears of its user.

As used herein the term “ear-buds” refer to ultra-portable headphoneswith earbud tips, that rest at the edge of the ear canal. Ear-buds aretypically devoid of headbands.

As used herein the term “in-ear buds” ultra-portable with small earbudtips, which are inserted into the ear canal. In-ear ear-buds aretypically devoid of headbands and earbud tips.

It was surprisingly found that the hearing level (sound) transmittedthrough headphones may vary for different types of headphones.Accordingly, based on the type of headphones utilized, a different soundsignal may be transmitted so as to calibrate the hearing test fordifferent headphones.

According to some embodiments, when the user is in possession of thehearing aid, the method further includes providing a request to the user(e.g. via a sound message to the hearing aid or through an Appassociated therewith) to utilize a hearing aid dome configured forperforming a hearing test. According to some embodiments, the hearingaid dome requested to be utilized may be configured to seal-off externalsounds and/or minimize leakage of sounds transmitted through the hearingaid to the environment.

As used herein, the term “hearing aid,” refers to all types of hearingenhancement devices, including medical devices prescribed for thehearing impaired, and personal sound amplification products (PSAP)generally not requiring a prescription or a medical waiver. The devicetype or “style” may be any of invisible in the canal (IIC), in-the-canal(ITC), in the ear (ITE), a receiver in the canal (RIC), or behind theear (BTE). A canal hearing device refers herein to any device partiallyor fully inserted in the ear canal.

According to some embodiments, the method further includes a step ofuploading the feedback to a cloud, wherein the determining of thesuitable set of hearing aid parameters for the hearing aid is performedin the cloud. It is understood that the “in-cloud” determining of theparameters significantly reduces the computational load required, whichmay be of significance in the elderly population who often is inpossession of older computational devices (whether PCs or smartphones).According to some embodiments, the cloud server is generating hearingaid settings and programs according to the specified audiogram, age andgender of the user, while also considering if the user is an experiencedhearing aid user or not. According to some embodiments, the generatingof the hearing settings and programs may further include posing to theuser one or more questions, such as “how old is the youngest child inyour family?” or “which music do you prefer to listen to?” and the like,thereby further improving the prediction of the most suitablesettings/fitting for the specific user.

After calculating initial fitting parameters, additional adjustments maybe applied to the hearing aid settings/programs depending on particularhearing aid model, tubing and dome. According to some embodiments,depending on the type of headphones utilized, the hearing test willadjust the output volume of speech and/or puretone sounds in order tocompensate for the known difference. According to some embodiments, themethod further includes a step of downloading the suitable set ofhearing aid parameters to the subject’s mobile phone and/or hearing aid.

According to some embodiments, the suitable set of parameters determinedare applied to the hearing aid via BLE. According to some embodiments,the suitable set of parameters may include more than one set ofparameters. According to some embodiments, a first set of parameters mayinitially be provided. Typically, the first set of parameters issuboptimal but suitable at an initial stage while the user is gettingused to using a hearing aid. According to some embodiments, one or more(e.g. 1, 2, 3, 4 or more) intermediate set of parameters may beprovided, in order to gradually accustom/acclimatize the user to a lastset of parameters, also referred to as an optimal set of parameters,which is the set of parameters which are most suitable to the user’shearing deficiency. According to some embodiments, the first,intermediate, and last set of parameters may be automaticallyimplemented, e.g. at certain time intervals after initiation of use ofthe hearing aid. According to some embodiments, the first, intermediate,and last set of parameters may be implemented, after recurring hearingtests. According to some embodiments, the first, intermediate and lastsets of parameters of the acclimatization process are obtained byapplying an acclimatization algorithm on the suitable set of parametersdetermined based on the hearing test or by applying the acclimatizationalgorithm directly on the feedback and on the one or more of: the typeof hearing device utilized for the test, recorded environmental sounds,and the one or more features of the headphones. Each possibility is aseparate embodiment. According to some embodiments, the last set ofparameters may be the set of suitable parameters determined based on thehearing test (i.e. based on the feedback and the on one or more of: thetype of hearing device utilized for the test, recorded environmentalsounds, and the one or more features of the headphones).

According to some embodiments, the hearing test may be executed via theinternet or using a dedicated mobile app. It was surprisingly found thatthe same sound signal output may differ when transmitted through theinternet than through a mobile app. Similarly, the signals received maydiffer depending on the internet browser utilized. Therefore, if theinternet is used for the test, the method may further include requestingthe user to indicate which internet browser is being used.Alternatively, the identification of whether an App or the internet isused for the test, and if the internet, which browser may beautomatically identified. According to some embodiments, the feedbackobtained from the user, in response to the transmitting of the soundsignals, may be normalized based on whether an App or the internet isused for the test, and if the latter, which internet browser. Accordingto some embodiments, depending on the user’s operating system, thehearing test will adjust the output volume of speech and/or puretonesounds in order to compensate known difference between the operatingsystems and their sound transmission.

According to some embodiments, when the hearing test is executed using adedicated mobile app, the possession of the hearing aid may beautomatically identified without requiring a user-indication.

According to some embodiments, when the user is in possession of thehearing aid and the hearing test is performed using the dedicated mobileapp, the method may further include automatically changing a mode of thehearing aid from the test mode to a hearing mode, if a call entersduring the hearing test. In addition, the method may further includeautomatically changing the mode of the hearing aid from the hearing modeback to the test mode, upon completion of the call.

According to some embodiments, the method may further includeautomatically changing the mode of the hearing aid from the test mode toa hearing mode if the user leaves the hearing test App during thehearing test. In addition, the method may further include automaticallychanging the mode of the hearing aid from the hearing mode back to thetest mode, upon return to the App.

According to some embodiments, determining the suitable set of hearingaid parameters may include obtaining an external set of recommendedhearing aid parameters (e.g. based on a prior hearing test) andoptionally adjusting the external set of recommended hearing aidparameters, based on the hearing test/the method disclosed herein.According to some embodiments, the external parameters may include userprofile information such as, but not limited to, gender, age, hearingaid experience, - language type (tonal or non-tonal), hearing aid model(for applying additional post processing suitable to the particularmodel, manually inserted audiograms (optionally including both airconduction values and bone conduction values from printed audiograms forimproved accuracy).

According to some embodiments, the determining of the suitable set ofhearing aid parameters may include obtaining an initial set ofrecommended hearing aid parameters, the initial set of hearing aidparameters being hearing aid parameters obtained from a subject having asimilar user profile. In such case the hearing test will be used toadjust the initial set of recommended hearing aid parameters using theherein disclosed method. According to some embodiments, the user maychoose a user profile that he/she finds particularly suitable. Forexample, the user may choose a profile of a user having a same ageand/or a same underlying cause of hearing deficiency, and/or a samehobby (e.g., listening to classical music or playing cards with friends)etc. based upon which the hearing test may be performed, therebyensuring a best possible baseline for the hearing test and/or for thesetting of optimal hearing aid parameters. According to someembodiments, the user profile is determined based on at least twoparameters selected from age, gender, years of hearing deficiency,source of hearing deficiency, previous hearing aid usage,interests/hobbies, occupation, or any combination thereof. Eachpossibility is a separate embodiment.

According to some embodiments, the method further includes recording thespeech of one or more individuals with whom the user has frequentinteractions, such as, but not limited to, a family member, a relative,a friend, a co-worker, a nurse, an aid or the like. According to someembodiments, recording a speech may include recording sentences.According to some embodiments, recording a speech may include recordingjust a few words whereafter an algorithm generates sentences spoken withan essentially identical voice, using voice cloning technologies, asessentially known in the art.

According to some embodiments, the hearing test further comprisestransmitting to the user one or more sentences, whether directrecordings of the sentences or computer-generated sentences constructedfrom recordings. According to some embodiments, the determining of thesuitable set of hearing aid parameters may further include providingdetermining a set of parameters optimized for hearing the voice of theindividuals with whom the user has frequent interactions. According tosome embodiments, the method may further include applying an algorithmconfigured to recognize the voice of the one or more individuals withwhom the user has frequent interactions and to automatically utilize theset of parameters optimized for hearing the voice of the one or moreindividuals with whom the user has frequent interactions.

According to some embodiments, the method further includes recordingchanges to the hearing aid settings made after the fitting of thesuitable set of hearing aid parameters. According to some embodiments,the recorded changes may be used to create an updated and personalizedfitting algorithm which the user can utilize for future fittings.According to some embodiments, the recorded changes may be used toupdate the fitting algorithm in general or for a subset of users (e.g.users who frequently listen to classical music). According to someembodiments, the algorithm may be updated based on user changes made ateach stage of the acclimatization process, According to someembodiments, changes made during acclimatization process may be used toimprove/update the acclimatization algorithm and/or to adjust the lastset of parameters determined according to the hearing test.

According to some embodiments, there is provided a system forpersonalized hearing test and hearing aid adjustment, the systemcomprising a processing logic configured to: obtain an indicationregarding the type of hearing device utilized for a hearing test,trigger the providing of sounds at different frequencies to the hearingaid or to the headphones; trigger a request to the user to provide afeedback regarding the quality of the sounds at each of the differentfrequencies; and determine a suitable set of hearing aid parameters forthe hearing aid, based on the feedback and on one or more of: the typeof hearing device utilized for the test, the one or more features of theheadphones and recorded environmental sounds.

According to some embodiments, the processing logic may be furtherconfigured to utilize or to request utilizing a microphone positioned ona mobile device of the consumer to record environmental sounds.

According to some embodiments, the at least one feature is selectedfrom: closed/open back, on-ear/over-ear/in ear/ear-buds, wired/wireless,noise-cancelling, brand or any combination thereof. Each possibility isa separate embodiment.

According to some embodiments, in a case where the user is in possessionof the hearing aid, the control logic is configured to trigger a changein a mode of the hearing aid from a hearing mode to a test mode, whereinthe test mode is configured to minimize penetration of external soundsinto the hearing aid.

According to some embodiments, in a case where the user is not inpossession of a hearing aid, the control logic is configured to triggera request to the user to utilize headphones, wherein the requesting ofthe user to utilize headphones comprises requesting the user to provideat least one feature of the headphone.

In the description and claims of the application, the words “include”and “have”, and forms thereof, are not limited to members in a list withwhich the words may be associated.

Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used hereinhave the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill inthe art to which this disclosure pertains. In case of conflict, thepatent specification, including definitions, governs. As used herein,the indefinite articles “a” and “an” mean “at least one” or “one ormore” unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

It is appreciated that certain features of the disclosure, which are,for clarity, described in the context of separate embodiments, may alsobe provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, variousfeatures of the disclosure, which are, for brevity, described in thecontext of a single embodiment, may also be provided separately or inany suitable subcombination or as suitable in any other describedembodiment of the disclosure. No feature described in the context of anembodiment is to be considered an essential feature of that embodiment,unless explicitly specified as such.

Although stages of methods according to some embodiments may bedescribed in a specific sequence, methods of the disclosure may includesome or all of the described stages carried out in a different order. Amethod of the disclosure may include a few of the stages described orall of the stages described. No particular stage in a disclosed methodis to be considered an essential stage of that method, unless explicitlyspecified as such.

Although the disclosure is described in conjunction with specificembodiments thereof, it is evident that numerous alternatives,modifications and variations that are apparent to those skilled in theart may exist. Accordingly, the disclosure embraces all suchalternatives, modifications and variations that fall within the scope ofthe appended claims. It is to be understood that the disclosure is notnecessarily limited in its application to the details of constructionand the arrangement of the components and/or methods set forth herein.Other embodiments may be practiced, and an embodiment may be carried outin various ways.

The phraseology and terminology employed herein are for descriptivepurpose and should not be regarded as limiting. Citation oridentification of any reference in this application shall not beconstrued as an admission that such reference is available as prior artto the disclosure. Section headings are used herein to easeunderstanding of the specification and should not be construed asnecessarily limiting.

Reference is now made to FIG. 1 , which is a flow chart 100 of theherein disclosed method for personalized hearing aid adjustment. It isunderstood to one of ordinary skill in the art that while the steps areshown as sequential, the order of at least some of the steps may bechanged and/or be conducted simultaneously. Those skilled in the artwill readily understand which are such steps.

In step 110 of the method, an app or internet browser window forconducting a hearing test is opened. Then, in step 120 the deviceutilized for the hearing test is identified. The identification may beautomatic identification. For example, if an App is utilized, the Appmay be configured to automatically identify a user’s hearing aid, ifavailable. Alternatively, the identification may include requesting andreceiving an input from the user regarding the type of device utilized.

If a hearing aid is used, the next step, may be step 130 a in which themode of the hearing aid is automatically changed to a hearing mode. Ifheadphones are used, the user may in step 130 b be requested to provideone or more features of the headphones such as, but not limited to,whether the headphones are closed or open back headphones, on-ear,over-ear, in ear or ear-buds, wired or wireless, noise-cancelling ornot, brand or the like.

Moreover, in step 140, environmental sounds may be recorded e.g. byutilizing (optionally upon request) a microphone of the user’s mobiledevice, computer and/or hearing aid. If the sound levels of theenvironment are not detrimental to the conducting of the hearing test,the next step of the method is the hearing test itself, which includesproviding sounds at different frequencies to the hearing aid or to theheadphones (step 150) and requesting the user’s response thereto (step160).

Lastly, in step 170 a suitable set of hearing aid parameters may bedetermined based on the feedback of the user to the transmitted sounds,the recorded environmental sounds/noise and on one or more of: the typeof hearing device utilized for the test, a brand of the hearing aid, orthe one or more features of the headphones.

Reference is now made to FIG. 2 , which is a schematic illustration of asystem 200 for automated fitting of a hearing aid, according to someembodiments. System 200 includes a hearing aid 212 of a user 210, atleast one hardware processor, here the user’s mobile phone 220 includinga non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereonprogram code, the program code executable by the hardware processor,here mobile app 222 configured to execute the method as essentiallyoutlined in flowchart 100, while receiving input and/or instructions(such as a user-initiated input).

Reference is now made to FIG. 3 , which is a schematic illustration of asystem 300 for automated fitting of a hearing aid, according to someembodiments. System 300 includes headphones 312 of a user 310, at leastone hardware processor, here the user’s mobile phone 320 including anon-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereonprogram code, the program code executable by the hardware processor,here mobile app 322 configured to execute the method as essentiallyoutlined in flowchart 100, while receiving input and/or instructions(such as a user-initiated input).

Reference is now made to FIG. 4 which schematically illustrates a flowof the herein disclosed method for automated fitting of a hearing aid,executed using a mobile App, according to some embodiments.

According to some embodiments, the hearing test may include a first step410 during which a number of questions are posed to the user prior tothe test itself. These may include one, some or all (each possibility isa separate embodiment) of the following closed questions and orinstructions:

1. Are your family members or friends suggesting you might have hearingloss or that you should take a hearing test? (frequently, occasionally,never).

2. In which ear do you hear better (left, same right).

3. Please connect your hearing aid or headphones to continue.

According to some embodiments, if the user is in possession of a hearingaid, the method may automatically jump to step 480.

According to some embodiments, if the user utilized headphones for thehearing test, the method continues to step 420 at which the user isrequested to indicate the type of headphones utilized, as essentiallydescribed herein (e.g., whether the headphones are in-ear or over-earheadphones). Then, in step 430 a or 430 b (depending on headphone type),the user is requested to input whether the headphones are wireless orwired.

In step 440 of the method, the volume of the headphones is increased,and in step 450, a sound check is performed (e.g., the user may berequested to indicate whether a narrator’s voice is heard in the right,left or both headphones. Once completed an indication is provided to theuser that the hearing test is ready to commence (step 460).

In steps 470 a and 470 b, which are currently conducted for headphonesonly, the speech maximum comfortable level (MCL)/thresholds are set,followed by step 480 during which puretones at different frequencies,here 5000 Hz, 1000 Hz, 2000 Hz and 4000 Hz, are tested. Step 480 isconducted for hearing tests performed using headphones as well as forhearing test conducted via a hearing aid.

Steps 470 a, 470 b and 480 are repeated for each ear.

Upon completion, test results (hearing profile) are calculated anddisplayed to the user in steps 490 a and 490 b.

If the user is in possession of hearing aid, the hearing profile may beapplied, as shown in step 495.

Reference is now made to FIG. 5 , which schematically illustrates a flowof the onboarding 500 of hearing aids for herein disclosed method forautomated fitting of a hearing aid, executed using a mobile app,according to some embodiments. It is understood by one of ordinary skillin the art, that the onboarding is performed prior to the hearing test(i.e., prior to [but optionally in direct continuation with] the methoddisclosed with reference to FIG. 4 ).

The first step of the onboarding an automatic device identification iscarried out. The identification may result in 4 optional scenarios:

-   1) No device is identified. In this case the user may be requested    to either confirm that he/she is not in possession of a device or as    shown in step 510 a be requested to activate the device preferably    guided by visual instruction;-   2) Only one device is located. in which case the user may be    requested to confirm that indeed he/she is only in possession of a    single hearing aid (step 510 b),-   3) Two hearing devices are identified. In this case the user may    automatically be transferred (step 510 c) to the next step    (instructions to put on his/her hearing aid step 520);-   4) More than two devices are located. In this case the method may    include step 510 d of automatic sorting of the devices, for example    according to signal strength followed by which, the user may be    requested to select the right pair.

Once the device has been identified and connected, the user is guided toput on his/her hearing aid (step 520) and a tone is played to ensurecorrect right/left positioning (step 530) and the hearing test/automatedfitting process may commence (as essentially described with regards toFIG. 4 ).

Alternatively, if the user is already in possession of an audiogram, themethod may proceed to upload the audiogram for each ear (steps 540 a and540 b, respectively) and the method of FIG. 4 continued at step 495).

While certain embodiments of the invention have been illustrated anddescribed, it will be clear that the invention is not limited to theembodiments described herein. Numerous modifications, changes,variations, substitutions and equivalents will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of thepresent invention as described by the claims, which follow.

1. A method of automated fitting of a hearing aid, the methodcomprising: changing a mode of the hearing aid from a hearing mode to atest mode, wherein the test mode is configured to minimize penetrationof external sounds into the hearing aid; play to the user a recording ofspeech of one or more individuals with whom the user has frequentinteractions, requesting from the user a feedback regarding the qualityhearing the played recording; and determining a set of hearing aidparameters optimized for hearing the speech of the one or moreindividuals with whom the user has frequent interactions.
 2. The methodof claim 1, further comprising automatically recognize the speech of theone or more individuals with whom the user has frequent interactions andto utilize the set of parameters optimized for hearing the speech of theone or more individuals with whom the user has frequent interactions. 3.The method of claim 1, further comprising playing a recording tobackground noise together with the recording of the speech and toadjusting the set of hearing aid parameters optimized for hearing thespeech, based on the feedback regarding the quality of hearing thespeech in the background noise.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein themethod further comprises a step of uploading the feedback to a cloud,wherein the determining of the suitable set of hearing aid parametersfor the hearing aid is performed in the cloud.
 5. The method of claim 4,wherein the method further comprises a step of downloading the suitableset of hearing aid parameters from the cloud to the subject’s mobileand/or hearing aid.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the method isexecuted via the internet or using a dedicated mobile app.
 7. The methodof claim 6, wherein when the hearing test is executed using thededicated mobile app, the possession of the hearing aid may beautomatically identified.
 8. The method of claim 7, further comprisingautomatically changing a mode of the hearing aid from a test mode to ahearing mode, if a call enters during the hearing test.
 9. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the determining of the suitable set of hearing aidparameters comprises obtaining an external set of recommended hearingaid parameters, and adjusting the external set of recommended hearingaid parameters, based on the feedback.
 10. The method of claim 1,wherein the determining of the suitable set of hearing aid parameterscomprises obtaining an initial set of recommended hearing aidparameters, the initial set of hearing aid parameters being hearing aidparameters obtained from a subject having a similar user profile. 11.The method of claim 10, wherein the user profile is determined based onat least two parameters selected from, age, gender, years of hearingdeficiency, source of hearing deficiency, previous hearing aid usage,interests/hobbies, occupation.
 12. The method of claim 10, wherein thesimilar user profile is chosen by the user.
 13. A system for automatedfitting of a hearing aid, the system comprising a processing logicconfigured to: change a mode of the hearing aid from a hearing mode to atest mode, wherein the test mode is configured to minimize penetrationof external sounds into the hearing aid; play to the user a recording ofspeech of one or more individuals with whom the user has frequentinteractions, requesting from the user a feedback regarding the qualityhearing the played recording; and determining a set of hearing aidparameters optimized for hearing the speech of the one or moreindividuals with whom the user has frequent interactions.
 14. The systemof claim 13, wherein the processing logic is further configured toautomatically recognize the speech of the one or more individuals withwhom the user has frequent interactions and to utilize the set ofparameters optimized for hearing the speech of the one or moreindividuals with whom the user has frequent interactions.
 15. The systemof claim 13, wherein the processing logic is further configured forplaying a recording to background noise together with the recording ofthe speech and to adjusting the set of hearing aid parameters optimizedfor hearing the speech, based on the feedback regarding the quality ofhearing the speech in the background noise.
 16. The system of claim 13,wherein the processing logic is further configured to receive anindication regarding the type of hearing device utilized for the hearingtest, wherein, in case the user is not in possession of a hearing aid,the processing logic is configured to trigger a request to the user toutilize headphones.
 17. The system of claim 16, wherein the requestingof the user to utilize headphones comprises requesting the user toprovide at least one feature of the headphone, wherein the at least onefeature is selected from: closed/open back, on-ear/over-ear/inear/ear-buds, wired/wireless, noise-cancelling, brand or any combinationthereof.